• Diamonds
  • Gemstones
  • Jewellery
  • Famous Jewels
  • Latest
Diamond Buzz Logo
Colourless Diamonds: What Makes Them Expensive
Diamonds

Colourless Diamonds: What Makes Them Expensive

Last updated on December 26, 2022

While all diamonds are unique and valuable, their value is based on a combination of characteristics that make some diamonds more expensive than others. Colourless diamonds are among the most sought-after and valuable stones. Let’s see what makes them so desirable and if it makes sense to always go for top colour grade diamonds.

What Are Colourless Diamonds?

Diamond Colour Scale | Diamond Buzz
Image © Diamond Buzz. All rights reserved.

According to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), diamond colour is graded on a scale from D to Z, with D being the most colourless and Z containing a brown or yellow tint noticeable to the naked eye. Colour is graded under controlled conditions by comparing a diamond to round brilliant diamonds of known colour, called master stones.

The D-to-Z colour scale is the industry standard for grading diamonds where each letter represents a range of colours based on a diamond’s tone and saturation:

  • D-E-F – colourless
  • G-H-I-J – near colourless
  • K-L-M – faint
  • N-O-P-Q-R – very light
  • S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z – light

In the context of the normal colour range, colourless diamonds are those that do not have any visible yellowish or brownish tints and are assigned a letter grade of D, E or F.

Diamonds that come in colourless to light yellow and brown fall within the normal colour range. The closer a diamond gets to the colourless grade, the higher its price per carat. Within the colourless range, D colour diamonds are the rarest and the most valuable as a result.

What Makes Colourless Diamonds Expensive

Jewellers bring lots of arguments supporting the high prices of colourless diamonds, such as how pure they look and how stunningly beautiful they are. However, the main and most reasonable argument is simple: colourless diamonds are rare.

While many of us associate diamonds with a colourless appearance, most rough diamonds mined from the earth have at least some level of yellow or brown tint, which makes it hard to find a truly colourless diamond. Because of their rarity, colourless diamonds are by far the most expensive white diamonds on the market. And yes, if the roles were reversed and tinted diamonds were rare, while the colourless ones were abundant, yellowish and brownish diamonds would be quite expensive while whites would be relatively affordable.

Are Colourless Diamonds Always Better?

Colourless diamonds, those graded D, E or F using the GIA colour scale, exhibit an absence of colour. They are graded face down and examined through their side profiles under controlled lighting conditions.

In general, the absence of tints makes colourless diamonds stand out in any piece of jewellery. However, in real-life conditions, it would be extremely difficult for a non-professional to tell the difference between colourless and near colourless diamonds, especially if they are mounted in a setting.

Diamonds do not have to be colourless for their colour to be unnoticeable. If you are looking for a white diamond, you do not necessarily need to pay the premium cost. For example, round diamonds with G or H grades look pretty much like colourless stones graded D, E or F. This is especially true for smaller round diamonds weighing up to 1 carat.

It is also worth mentioning that some “experts” proclaim colour to be the key factor for a diamond’s fire, brilliance and scintillation. This is done for a self-serving purpose to make you spend more on colourless stones. Of course, it is perfectly fine to pay the premium on a colourless diamond as long as it is a conscious purchase decision, but it is a misconception that a colourless diamond will appear more brilliant a sparkly. Cut quality is the major factor that affects a diamond’s light performance.

Best Settings For Colourless Diamonds

Comparison Of Colourless Diamonds In Different Metals | Diamond Buzz
Image © Diamond Buzz. All rights reserved.

Colourless diamonds look stunning in jewellery crafted from white metals such as white gold and platinum, as well as coloured metals such as yellow and rose gold.

Coloured metals work beautifully with colourless diamonds as they add attractive contrast and make them stand out. However, it is worth mentioning that such a setting can add some yellowish tint to the stone.

In case you do not want to add more colour to the diamond, you may have it set in white gold or platinum. If you still prefer coloured metals, then it makes sense to use white metals for your prongs. This will help to make the centre stone look whiter against a coloured background. After all, if you have paid so much money for a colourless diamond, it is worth making sure the stone will not be tinted in any way.

Featured image: Weeclub / Shutterstock
FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedIn

Post navigation

Amethyst Properties and Characteristics
Diamond Carat Weight vs Clarity Grade
  • Damaged Ring Prongs: Don’t Put Your Gemstones At Risk | Diamond BuzzDamaged Ring Prongs: Don’t Put Your Gemstones at Risk
    Jewellery

Advertise on Diamond Buzz

We help our clients with the best and most effective advertising solutions by creating engagement for jewellery brands across the Diamond Buzz audience.

Newsletter

By entering your email address, you consent to receive our latest news and exclusive offers. You may withdraw your consent at any time. Please read our Privacy Policy for more details.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

  • Contact
  • About
  • Advertising
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Cookie Settings
  • Instagram
Copyright © 2018 - 2023 Diamond Buzz. All Rights Reserved.
Cressida Pro by LyraThemes.com

We use cookies on our website to personalise your user experience and analyse our website traffic. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to the use of all the cookies.

Privacy Policy    Settings    Accept All

Cookie Settings

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are essential for the website to function properly. This category includes cookies that ensure the basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyse the key performance indexes of the website, which help in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
_ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_ga_SGEW9HERE92 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analysed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo